New Toy
Osaka, 2000
The beautiful rising sun peeked out from behind the dull gray clouds, teasing the world with its light. Tokyo was still under construction, the majority of it had been destroyed in the confrontation between Godzilla and the unknown monster, dubbed "Orga" due to its unique genetic makeup. The reconstruction period was long and harsh, an agonizing time for any citizen of the once amazing city of Tokyo. So, Osaka was made to be the new temporary capital of Japan, at least until Tokyo could be properly repaired.
But, many people managed to make their way through. They were the lucky ones. And some others were quite unfortunate. Yuji Shinoda, director of the GPN (Godzilla Prediction Network), was one of the lucky ones. He and his daughter, Io, managed to make it out of the burning city alive. He was regarded as a sort of hero, people admiring his attempts to discover the alien's true intentions. However, his popularity began to fade out of existence, and he was again regarded as that "Crazy Godzilla Guy". It suited him, as he wasn't much for fame anyway. The scientist still aided the CCI every now and then, giving them his opinion on the matters in which they discussed. However, he made it quite clear he would not help them kill Godzilla.
And, because of his connection with the CCI, led by his friend and partner Shiro Miyazaka, he was now driving towards the CCI HQ quite early in the morning. Yawning, his eyes grew heavy as he drove down the empty road. He wished he could be asleep in his comfortable bed, much like everyone else in Japan. Instead, he was called down to examine some sort of new technology the CCI had been developing. Frankly, he knew it had to do with Godzilla, because if it didn't, he would still be at home.
He sighed in relief as he pulled up into the parking lot and parked the GPN van. He got out of the van, locked it up, and took a step back. Io had said the vehicle was hideous, and he was starting to think she was right. Dirt, mud, and who knows what was clinging to the hood and
the side, and the birds had left numerous presents for him on the window. Dents in the metal were everywhere, and tiny cuts and gashes were plentiful. He shook his head, disappointed at his failure to observe these flaws.
"You're getting old, friend. Io will take care of you." A cool wind swept through the area and bit into Shinoda, causing his teeth to chatter and him to grasp his shoulders in a futile effort to protect himself from the freezing winds.
"I hate winter," he grumbled to himself. He turned towards the temporary CCI HQ, and headed inside. The air inside felt heavenly, instantly warming his shivering body.
"Note to self: Do not wear short-sleeve shirts anytime after August." The woman at the desk looked up from her piles of paperwork and smiled, before standing up and greeting the casually dressed man.
"Ah, Mr. Shinoda, I presume?" The professor nodded, feeling slightly out of place. Everyone here was dressed up in expensive-looking suits and slacks, while he was wearing cargo pants and some old, stained dress shirt he had found in the closet. Some impression he was making.
"Sir, would you follow me, please?" The woman, who must've been in her twenties, lead him through a maze of hallways and doors, and the scientist soon began to wonder exactly where she was taking him.
"Miss, are you sure you know-"
"Here we are," she cheerfully exclaimed. Shinoda blinked for a moment, and then closed his mouth. They had stopped in front of an elevator, which seemed well out of the way of anyone who worked here or happened to be visiting.
"Just go inside. No need to press a button." She waved at him, swinging her hand around like a giddy schoolgirl before turning around and walking back to the front of the building. Yuji stepped inside of the elevator and nearly had a heart attack as the doors swiftly slammed shut, locking him inside.
"What the hell!?" He lost his balance and tumbled to the ground as the elevator began its descent, traveling at an uncomfortable pace. Before Shinoda could lose his breakfast, the elevator abruptly stopped, sending him crashing into the padded wall. He fell backwards onto his bottom and groaned, rubbing his head.
"They never had this last time." He tried to rearrange his messy hair, trying to make himself at least presentable. Suddenly, the doors opened and light shined into the dimly lit room.
"Ah, Shinoda. Good to see you again." A man stood outside the elevator in a ghostly white lab coat. He readjusted his glasses and grinned as Shinoda recognized who he was.
"Miyazaka!" The two reunited partners shook hands and exchanged words.
"Glad to see you're alright. How is Io?"
"She's great. She's spending some time with her aunt in Kumamoto."
"Ah, I see. Anyway, let's get to the point," Miyazaka said while he began to walk away through the corridors, Shinoda in tow," I brought you here because you are an essential part to studying Godzilla and helping us… prevent any more attacks. We need your advice on some matters, and instead of sending you a picture, we thought it'd be best if you saw it with your own two eyes."
Miyazaka stopped in front of two larges doors and entered a pass code into the console nearby. A click was heard, and the doors slid open. Reluctantly, Yuji stepped through the two doors, and his mouth literally dropped at what sat before him.
A humongous machine stood before him, a ship made of steel. It looked like some kind of spaceship from a sci-fi movie. The thing was huge, at least 100 meters or more in length. All the engineers and scientists were like ants to this ship. The bow was basically a huge blade, serrated and ready to slice through anything. On either side of the ship were huge cannons, ominous humming, and a yellow light could barely be seen. Along with these dangerous weapons, numerous holes were lined up along the side of the ship, each containing a homing missile ready to bury itself in its target. The most frightening thing about the ship, however, was the immense weapon attached to the bottom. Mechanics scrambled about under it, sparks flying about as they worked to finish up the battleship.
"What…what is it?" Shinoda was in awe at the sight of the ship, never before seeing anything like it.
"This…this is the result of our year-long effort. This is the ultimate defense weapon against any monster attack. This, Shinoda, is the Karyu." Miyazaka stepped forward, soaking up the beauty of his creation.
"120 meters in length, 30 meters in height, and weighs 7,500 tons. It is comprised of an alloy dubbed NT-1, one of the strongest metals on Earth, and it is coated with diamond plating. The "Kaiju Cutter" can slice through anything, whether it be buildings or flesh. It is able to be charged with electrical energy, delivering quite the nasty shock. Twin Electronic Particles cannons rest on each side, and eight Full Metal Missiles are ready for action, able to go through anything like crap through a goose."
"I know you're wondering, 'What is that thing on the bottom, Miyazaka?'. Well, that happens to be the Karyu's secret weapon, the Dimension Tide. The Dimension Tide is basically a gigantic gun that will make Godzilla piss his pants. See, whenever the overgrown lizard fires his ray at the Karyu, the armor will soak in the energy. The plasma energy will then be transferred to the D.T. Now, whenever enough energy has been absorbed, the Karyu can fire out a beam comprised of plasma and electrical energy. To be blunt, this thing will take out Godzilla or any other monster stupid enough to try and mess with we humans."
"How did you obtain the funding? Where did you get all of these materials and weapons? Did the government allow you to build this?" The brain behind Project Karyu chuckled as his friend assaulted him with numerous questions.
"We have our ways, Shinoda."
"Whatever. Why did you ask that I come here? Your little toy is wonderful, yes, but surely there is some other reason as to why I am here. "
"Your knowledge of kaiju is exactly what we need to help analyze, discover weaknesses, and then destroy attacking monsters. Besides, it pays well. So, what do you say? Deal? Or no deal?" Frowning, Yuji took a look around. He couldn't believe Miyazaka accomplished all of this. He thought that Shiro was like him, in a way. But, he had turned into a clone of his predecessor. Disgusted by the very thought of having to kill Godzilla, he shook his head. Yet, the idea of all that money slipping into his hands…
"I'll have to think about it. I'll see you later."
"Alright, Shinoda. You think about this opportunity of a lifetime. We'll keep in touch." And with that, Yuji walked back through the brightly lit corridor, his head a tornado of thoughts.